Voice of America 4/21/97
KOREA TALKS/ FOOD AID
BYLINE=MAX RUSTON
DATELINE=NEW YORK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: TALKS IN NEW YORK BETWEEN
NORTH KOREA, SOUTH KOREA AND
THE UNITED STATES ARE FACING FURTHER
DELAYS, CAUSED BY NORTH KOREA'S EFFORTS
TO LINK POLITICAL ISSUES WITH ITS REQUESTS
FOR EMERGENCY FOOD AID. V-O-A'S MAX
RUSTON REPORTS FROM NEW YORK.
TEXT: STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN
NICHOLAS BURNS SAYS U-S AND SOUTH KOREAN
NEGOTIATORS WANT THE NEW YORK MEETINGS
TO FOCUS ON A PROPOSAL FOR TALKS ON A
NEW PEACE ARRANGEMENT FOR THE KOREAN
PENINSULA. BUT HE SAYS NORTH KOREA HAS
REPEATEDLY TRIED TO LINK THAT ISSUE WITH
ITS REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY FOOD AID -- A
CONNECTION THE U-S SIDE REFUSES TO ACCEPT.
MR. BURNS SAYS WASHINGTON IS ALREADY
LEADING INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO SEND
FOOD AID TO THE NORTH, AND CONSIDERS ITS
OWN PLEDGE OF 25 MILLION DOLLARS IN AID
TO BE VERY GENEROUS.
/// BURNS ACT ///
IF THE NORTH KOREANS COME TO NEW
YORK AND REJECT THE FOUR PARTY PEACE
TALKS, WE WILL GO FORWARD WITH OUR FOOD
AID. IT IS NOT LINKED IN OUR MIND. WE HAVE
NOT TOLD THE NORTH KOREANS THEY HAVE
TO AGREE TO FOUR PARTY TALKS IF THEY WANT
FOOD AID. WE HAVE NOT SAID THAT.
/// END ACT ///
NORTH KOREA HAS EXPERIENCED A SEVERE
FOOD SHORTAGE OVER THE LAST YEAR.
EXPERTS SAY IT FACES A THREAT OF FAMINE
OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IF IT IS NOT
GIVEN ASSISTANCE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY.
BUT U-S MILITARY LEADERS SAY THEY
ARE CONCERNED ABOUT GIVING AID TO
NORTH KOREA BECAUSE OF ITS THREAT
TO THE SECURITY OF SOUTH KOREA AND
THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION. THOSE CONCERNS
INCREASED OVER THE WEEKEND WITH THE
ARRIVAL IN SEOUL OF A SENIOR NORTH KOREAN
OFFICIAL, HWANG JANG YOP, WHO DEFECTED
FROM NORTH KOREA TWO MONTHS AGO
WHILE VISITING CHINA.
MR. HWANG SAID THE PEOPLE OF NORTH
KOREA HAVE LOST HOPE AND THAT THE
GOVERNMENT THERE SEEMS INTENT ON
WAGING A WAR AGAINST SOUTH KOREA.
STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN NICHOLAS
BURNS SAYS WASHINGTON IS PREPARED AND
COMMITTED TO DEFENDING SOUTH KOREA
AGAINST ANY ATTACK FROM THE NORTH. BUT,
MR. BURNS SAYS THE UNITED STATES REMAINS
HOPEFUL TENSION CAN BE EASED THROUGH TALKS.
/// BURNS ACT ///
DESPITE THE RHETORIC ONE SOMETIMES HEARS
TOO OFTEN FROM PYONGYANG, AND DESPITE
WHAT MR. HWANG HAS SAID, WE THINK
THAT ACTUALLY THE EVENTS SEEM TO INDICATE
THE NORTH KOREANS AT LEAST ARE OPEN TO
FURTHER TALK WITH THE UNITED STATES, SOUTH
KOREA, JAPAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN
ASIA INTERESTED IN PEACE AND SECURITY
ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
/// END ACT ///
DIPLOMATS SAY THE STALLED MEETINGS IN
NEW YORK WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT FIRST
STEP IN ESTABLISHING SUCH A DIALOG WITH
NORTH KOREA. THOSE MEETINGS ARE AIMED
AT ARRANGING PEACE TALKS INVOLVING
NORTH KOREA, SOUTH KOREA, THE UNITED
STATES AND CHINA. THE TALKS, IF NORTH
KOREA AGREES TO THEM, WOULD FOCUS ON
ESTABLISHING A PEACE TREATY TO REPLACE
THE 1953 ARMISTICE THAT ENDED FIGHTING
IN THE KOREAN WAR. (SIGNED)
NEB/NY/MPR/LSF/LWM
21-Apr-97 4:58 PM EDT (2058 UTC)
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